Decreased levels of immune-regulatory cytokines in patients with immune thrombocytopenia and long-lasting overexpression of these cytokines in the splenectomized patients

Abstract Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune-mediated disease characterized by decreased platelet counts. Cytokines play important roles in modulating the immune response and are involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. This study aimed at exploring the serum levels of a core set of cytokines that exert immune-regulatory functions in newly diagnosed ITP patients (both before and after treatment) and splenectomized ITP patients. Using the Bio-Plex suspension array system and ELISA, the serum levels of IL-10, IL-21, IL-27, IL-33, IL-35, IL-37, and TGF-β1 were detected. The data showed that the serum levels of the immune regulatory cytokines IL-10, IL-35, and TGF-β1 were significantly lower in newly diagnosed ITP patients. Decreased cytokine levels could be improved in patients with a complete response or a response after steroid-based treatment(s). The serum concentrations of TGF-β1 were positively correlated with the platelet counts both before and after treatment. All the detected immune-regulatory cytokines, except IL-37, showed significantly higher levels in splenectomized ITP patients than pretreatment ITP patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, these data suggest that lower levels of immune-regulatory cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of ITP and that there is a long-lasting overexpression of immune-regulatory cytokines in ITP patients with splenectomy.